It rained today. Not for very long, but while it rained it came down in buckets! I just felt the joy of the land. The nourishing water soaking into the soil and the roots of the plants thirstily drinking in every precious drop. The leaves of the trees and the grass look greener and happier now that the dust has been washed off. I grew up on a farm and I remember seeing the cows jump for joy when it rained. Rain is life. Without water we cannot survive. Without water the earth will cease to exist as it is. While it was raining I was imagining the joy that the earth was showing and I was reminded of places in the bible where there are examples of objects like trees praising God.
Isaiah 55:12, “For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall break forth into singing before you.
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”
Psalm 98:4,7-8, “Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;
Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.
Let the sea roar and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell in it;
Let the rivers clap their hands;
Let the hills be joyful together before the Lord.”
Nahum 1:5, “The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away.
The earth trembles at his presence the world and all who live in it.”
Psalm 104:3-9, “He lays the beams of his upper chambers in the waters,
Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind,
Who makes His angels spirits,
His ministers a flame of fire.
You who laid the foundations of the earth,
So that it should not be moved forever,
You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
The waters stood above the mountains.
At Your rebuke they fled;
At the voice of Your thunder they hastened away.
They went up over the mountains;
They went down into the valleys,
To the place which You founded for them.
You have set a boundary that they may not pass over,
That they may not return to cover the earth.”
Psalm 148:3-4, “Praise him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all you starts of light!
Praise Him, you heaven of heavens,
And you waters above the heavens!
- 7-13
Praise the Lord from the earth,
You great sea creatures and all the depths;
Fire and hail, snow and clouds;
Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;
Mountains and all hills;
Fruitful trees and all cedars;
Beasts and all cattle;
Creeping things and flying fowl;
Kings of the earth and all peoples;
Princes and judges of the earth;
Both young men and maidens;
Old men and children.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For His name alone is exalted;
His glory is above the earth and heaven.”
Luke 19:39-40, “And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, ‘Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.’ But He answered and said to them, ‘I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.’”
These verse are so beautiful. They seem to have surround sound, 3D and in full colour. Can you see it in your mind’s eye? The trees rejoicing, the streams, the stars, the moon and the sun are all praising God. The sea creatures and even the stones can praise God. That is just so profound. Such a thing to wrap your head around. As humans, we are supposedly the only creatures with a spirit and a soul and we can think rational thoughts. We don’t just react out of instinct and training. But do we praise God the way we should? Or are we holding back because we are afraid of what people are going to think? Do we really know how to praise God for all He is and all He has one for us? Can we truly say that we can lay down everything that is troubling us and just praise God with abandon? How were we brought up? “Don’t make a spectacle of yourself.” “Behave yourself.” “Children should be seen and not heard” “Sit still in church and don’t embarrass me.”
Those are some of the labels which can cause us to become self-conscious and embarrassed by our own actions. 2 Samuel 6:14, ‘Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod.” I’m not saying we should dance in public in your underwear, but I think we should get over ourselves and start praising God the way He deserves to be praised.
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